Dark Hunters
The Dark Hunters are a Loyalist Codex Astartes-compliant Space Marine Chapter descended from the gene-seed of the White Scars during an unknown Founding. The Dark Hunters hail from the night world of Phobian, and ever since the Dellrond Campaign, where a single Dark Hunters Battle Company held the entrance to the Cathedral of the Emperor Ossified for five standard years against the Orks of WAAAGH! Nagrut, the Chapter has had a reputation for being particularly hardy and resolute warriors. Chapter History The Dark Hunters were created during the 37th Millennium and were Founded during the dark days of the Occlusiad War (555-565.M37). The Chapter was created to combat the heretical Tech-priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus known as the Apostles of the Blind King, who made war upon the Imperium. The Dark Hunters have a reputation for being particularly grim and resolute warriors. They are one of the seven Space Marine Chapters of the Imperium of Man currently charged with hunting down and eliminating the Renegade Chaos Space Marines warband known as the Punishers. The Dark Hunters have a deep seated distrust of machines. They retain a particular disgust for the Daemon Engines of Chaos, which they will hunt like oversized prey and bring down no matter the cost to themselves. Notable Campaigns *'Battle of Bloodsteel (Unknown Date. M37)' - The Dark Hunters are deployed to successfully contain an assault by the Warpsmith Hilghar and his Daemon Engines, including Chaos Titans. The Chapter takes heavy casualties. *'Zarona Intervention (089.M38)' - Inquisitor Galleus takes to the battlefield in person and leads a force of Dark Hunter Space Marines and Cadian Shock Troops against the traitors of Zarona. The Inquisitor sacrifices all to close a rift from which the traitors are drawing sorcerous power, though some mystics claims he lives yet, trapped beyond the ability of any to rescue him. *'The Battle for Phobian (936.M38) '- The Dark Hunters defend their homeworld of Phobian against the renegade forces of the Adeptus Mechanicus Princeps known as the Blind King. The Dark Hunters tactics and methods of war, however, were ineffective when they encountered a battlegroup of Titans. Chapter Master Jullunai Khan ordered the Ansar Company to penetrate the hull of the leading ''Warlord''-class Titan, and the Ansar Company fought on and succeeded in destroying the Titan from within, granting the victory to the Dark Hunters, but at the cost of the lives of the entire company. *'First Punisher Invasion (825.M41)' - The infamous Chaos Space Marine warband, known as the Punishers, lead a massive Chaos invasion of the Kargad System. The Dark Hunters Chapter leads the defense of their home world, but are woefully outnumbered by the Forces of Chaos. The Punishers land a quarter of a million Chaos Cultists in the first wave upon Phobian, with mighty Emperor-class Battleships to back them up. Their numbers severely depleted, the Dark Hunters are forced to pull back and make their final stand at Mors Angnar, their fortress-monastery, cradled in the rugged peaks and glaciers of the Argahast Range, The Silverspears. The Punishers eventually surrounded Mors Angnar and fought their way inside. The Dark Hunters were forced to make their final stand within the Chapter's Reclusiam, their numbers reduced to only two hundred battle-brothers. As the Dark Hunters faced certain annihilation, they were saved by their fellow Adeptus Astartes brethren. It takes the help of six other Chapters, including the Dark Sons, Brazen Fists, Doomsayers, Shadowhawks and two other Chapters, to finally extirpate the Punishers from the system. Though the Dark Hunters emerge victorious, it is a pyrrhic victory, at best. Their numbers had been greatly reduced and many of their ancient vehicles and transports had been destroyed. But the Dark Hunters would persevere, and go on to rebuild their numbers, though it would take many centuries to replace the battle-brothers they had lost. *'Second Punisher War (982.M41)' - *'Dellrond Campaign (Unknown Date.M41)' - A single Dark Hunters Battle Company holds the entrance to the Cathedral of the Emperor Ossified on the world of Dellrond for five standard years against the Orks of WAAAGH! Nagrut, displaying an extraordinary level of fortitude and combat resilience, even for the transhuman Adeptus Astartes. Chaplain Hyron of the Dark Hunters 4th Company earned a bloody reputation over the course of the Dellrond Campaign. It was Hyron who rallied his brothers again and again to drive back the seemingly endless tide of Orks. Nights on the moons of Dellrond can last months, or even years, and toward the end of the campaign the battered veterans of Hyron's Command Squad had become known as the Conclave of Midnight, survivors of the endless war within the darkness. The Conclave slaughtered the Ork Warboss on the steps of the Cathedral of the Emperor Ossified in the final days of the conflict. They were then able to oversee the demise of WAAAGH! Nagrut in a storm of blood and fire. *'Battle of the Black Star (939.M41)' - In the sable light of the star Antilles, the Dark Hunters strike at the Renegade Punishers' stronghold, claiming over half the Traitor Marines' lives. *'A Dying of the Light (999.M41) '- Imperial fleets on the edge of Draven Sector become lost in the Warp after an unusual phenomenon causes their Navigators to lose sight of the Astronomican. Investigations uncover the source of the interference upon the Tomb World of Petk. Dark Hunters Space Marines launch an assault on the planet, but only minutes after landing all contact with them is lost. Chapter Organisation Like the forebears, the Dark Hunters are also regarded as a Codex Astartes-compliant Chapter, as their organisation, order of battle and tactical operations adhering closely to the tenets laid down in that most sacred of tomes to the Adeptus Astartes. There are, however, several noteworthy and substantial deviations from the Codex's prescribed doctrine. Most notable among these deviations are the use of certain honourific ranks and titles within the Chapter in place of the standard Space Marine ranks. These naming conventions also extend to the Dark Hunters Companies as well: Specialist Ranks *'Kharne (Chapter Master)' Company Names *'Ardunai (1st Veteran Company)' *'Mortai "the Fated Ones" (3rd Battle Company)' *'Haradai (Scout Company)' Chapter Beliefs The Dark Hunters' first campaign as a Chapter saw harrowing fighting against the Daemon Engines of the Warpsmith Hilghar, and the mutated ''Warlord''-class Titan Repellus Maximal during the Battle of Bloodsteel. This campaign has left a deep-rooted mistrust of the machine within the collective psyche of the Dark Hunters. Even today, the Chapter's relations with the Tech-priests of Mars are strained at best. Notable Dark Hunters *'Angnar' - Angnar was a Captain of the White Scars Chapter who was chosen to be the first Chapter Master of the newly created Dark Hunters Chapter. Angnar was presented a relic power-axe by Mordonai Khan of the Scars at Quan Zhou, an axe which their Primarch Jaghatai Khan himself had once used: double-headed, millennia old, and still crackling with blue flames as Angnar raised it in the sunlight, a gift worthy of great heroes. The Dark Hunters took this sacred relic as their Chapter icon, the twice-bladed symbol of vengeance and justice. *'Lukullus Nogai' - Chapter Master, and second founder of the Dark Hunters. Some venerate him as a Saint of the Imperium. *'Kharne Al Murzim' - Current Chapter Master of the Dark Hunters. *'Jullunai Khan '- Chapter Master of the Dark Hunters during the Battle for Phobian. *'Ares Thuraman' - Captain of Ardunai, the Dark Hunters First Company. *'Jonah Kerne' - Captain of Mortai (3rd) Company of the Dark Hunters. *'Shaef Darric' - Captain of Haroun (4th) Company. *'Nortan Blask' - Captain of Makran (7th) Company. *'Mithryan '- Captain of the Ansar (8th) Company. Captain Mithryan was charged by Jullunai Khan to destroy the Warlord-class Titan that was leading the assault against the Dark Hunter's homeworld of Phobian. Mithryan had heroically sacrificed himself and the remains of his company to destroy the great titan, *'Fell Ambros' - Captain of Haradai (Scout) Company. *'Biron Amadai' - Master of Sanctity of the Dark Hunters at the time of the First Punisher Invasion. *'Jord Malchai' - Chief Reclusiarch of the Dark Hunters. *'Astanius Tor' - Chief Librarian of the Dark Hunters at the time of the Second Founding. *'Graes Vennan' - Chief Librarian of the Dark Hunters at the time of the Second Punisher War. *'Elijah Kass' - A Codicier of the Librarium. *'Korso '- Korso was the Stormseer (Librarian) of the Dark Hunters during the Battle for Phobian. One of the closest councillors of Jullunai Khan. He was presented on Phobian during the battle against the renegade Titans of the Blind King. *'Passarion' - Apothecary of Mortai Company. *'Heinos' - Techmarine of Mortai Company. *'Fornix' - First sergeant of Mortai Company. *'Finn March' - Sergeant of Primus (1st) Squad of Mortai Company. *'Nureddin' - Sergeant of Secundus (2nd) Squad of Mortai Company. *'Orsus' - Sergeant of Tertius (3rd) Squad of Mortai Company. *'Greynan' - Sergeant of Quatris (4th) Squad of Mortai Company. *'Kagan' - Sergeant of Quincus (5th) Squad of Mortai Company. *'Rusei' - Sergeant of Sextius (6th) Squad of Mortai Company. *'Corvo' - Sergeant of Septus (7th) Squad of Mortai Company. *'Mauron Aekin '- Brother Sergeant of the Ansar Company. Aekin was one of Mithryan's sergeants who were following their captain in the destruction of the Warlord-''class Titan. Aekin was one of the few who made it to the head of the Titan, and took the life of the Titan's princep, who he believed to be the Blind King. Like his captain, he did not survive the operation. *'Breughal Paine''' - Former Forge Master of the Dark Hunters, now in Dreadnought symbiosis, and the last survivor of the Second Founding of the Chapter. *'Geherran '- Known for his boldness, Geherran chose to be encased in the mighty Dreadnought after his own body was destroyed. He fell with most of his company, while fighting against the Punishers on Perreken. *'Rausa' - An Assault Marine of the Ansar Company. The Chapter was under its strength, therefore, Rausa was taken into the Ansar Company while still being a Neophyte. Like other members of the Ansar Company, Rausa did not survive during the assault against the Warlord ''Titan. Chapter Relics *Shadow Mantle'' - The Shadow Mantle is a specially crafted form of Astartes Scout Armour with an integrated bodyglove that provides additional protection. The armour has an inbuilt Hunter-Killer Auspex, which can be used as if it were a weapon's sight. Although the Codex Astartes recommends that Scout Armour be restricted to a Chapter’s Neophytes and their Sergeants in the 10th Company, even the most fervent adherents to Roboute Guilliman’s doctrine grudgingly admit there is merit to equipping more experienced warriors with lighter armour after seeing the Shadow Mantle in action. Its cameleoline-bonded plating renders the wielder nearly invisible, and the inbuilt Hunter-Killer Auspex has claimed the lives of hundreds of Chaos Space Marines by pinpointing the weak points in older, warped or ill-maintained Power Armour. Chapter Appearance icon; an Astartes' Company is designated by the shoulder trim colour]] Chapter Colours The Dark Hunters don navy blue-coloured Power Armour with a white coloured Aquila or Imperialis on the chest plate. The white coloured squad specialty symbol (Tactical, Assault, Devastator, or Veteran) is indicated on the right shoulder guard or on the left knee plate. Squad number is designated by a stenciled black Roman numeral centred within the squad specialty symbol. The Chapter iconography is painted on the left shoulder guard. Shoulder guard trim denotes company designation. Chapter Badge The Dark Hunters' Chapter badge the profile of a white, double-bladed battle axe (known as the Axe of Justice) centred on a field of blue. Chapter Fleet *''Ogadai'' (Gothic-class Heavy Cruiser) - Though close to four thousand years old, the Ogadai is the only capital ship the Dark Hunters possess that is still spaceworthy. It is a vast starship which had been laid down before the Dark Hunters themselves had been founded. In its youth it had been part of the battle fleet of the White Scars Chapter. The Primarch himself, Jaghatai Khan, had travelled in it, sanctifying the ship with his presence. And ancient though it was, it still possessed enough firepower to lay waste to a planet. *''Umbra Mortis'' (Battle Barge) - At present, the Umbra Mortis is nothing more than an orbital battery, stripped of parts and incapable of travelling the warp. *''Temujin'' (Frigate) Sources *''Codex: Space Marines'' (7th Edition) (Digital Edition), pg. 136 *''Codex: Space Marines'' (6th Edition) (Digital Edition), pp. 18, 81 *''Codex: Space Marines'' (5th Edition), pp. 26, 30 *''Codex: Necrons (7th Edition) (Digital Edition) *''Deathwatch - Honour the Chapter (RPG), pg. 133 *''Dataslate: Reclusiam Command Squad'' (Background Book), Notable Reclusiam Command Squad *''How to Paint Space Marines'' (2004), pg. 88 *''Imperial Armour Volume Two, Second Edition - War Machines of the Adeptus Astartes'', pg. 18 *''Warhammer 40,000: Dataslate - Reclusiam Command Squad'' (Digital Edition), pg. 12 *''Legends of the Space Marines'' (Anthology), "The Last Detail" by Paul Kearney *''The Blind King'' (Ebook) by Paul Kearney *''Dark Hunters: Umbra Sumus'' (Novel) by Paul Kearney Gallery File:Dark Hunters vs Punishers.jpg|The Dark Hunters bring the battle to the Chaos Space Marines known as the Punishers File:DH_Tact_Marine.png|Battle-Brother Kjarl of the Dark Hunters' 4th Company, 6th Tactical Squad Category:D Category:Imperium Category:Space Marine Chapters Category:Space Marines Category:White Scars